Many cultures have a mid-winter celebration or festival. For many in 91Ô­´´, Christmas is the big one, followed closely by New Year's Eve a week later.

There are a lot of ways to celebrate the season, from religious observances, to visits with family, to charity work, to seeing just how many lights and inflatables you can fit on your front lawn this year.

Some of the earliest celebrations of Christmas in 91Ô­´´, at the Fort 91Ô­´´ fur trading post, were rather muted compared to what we do today. (They didn't have blinking LED lights, for one thing.) The Fort's employees got the day off of work (which was probably pretty welcome considering how backbreaking labour was in the early 19th century) and were given a ration of rum. By some reports, the "ration" was a full pint, with another ration on New Year's.

In later years, as Fort 91Ô­´´ grew more settled, local celebrations added wine and cookies, and gatherings of the employees and their wives for dancing and music.

Even then, the holidays were an occasion for a bit of relaxation and good cheer.

That's the key to a successful holiday season, whatever your reason for celebrating. 

Christmas can be a hectic and stressful time. There's a lot to do: work and shopping, holiday meals, school concerts, travel plans or family coming to visit, cards to send and a tree to acquire. All of it takes place while our evenings are dark and it's often, especially here in the Lower Mainland, pouring rain. It's enough to bring out anyone's inner Grinch.

So if you find yourself feeling like your heart is two sizes too small, consider the original lesson of the Fort 91Ô­´´ fur traders (not the part about polishing off an entire pint of rum, we can't recommend that): take some time off, and relax.

It's been another long and busy year for most of us. The holidays are a time to remember to put up your feet and take some time off. For those essential workers who will be on the job on Christmas, our thanks, and we hope you get to find your own time for Christmas, too.

We hope you and your family have a lot to celebrate as we approach the end of 2024.